An Egyptian Story

A continuation of the self-exploration Youssef Chahine began with ALEXANDRIA . . . WHY?, this second autobiographical film unfolds as a surreal profusion of memories, fantasies, flashbacks, and hallucinations as an ailing filmmaker (Nour el-Sherif) witnesses his life come flooding back to him while undergoing open-heart surgery. Entwining explicit references to Chahine’s own life and career (including his sexuality, his many clashes with censorship, and his struggle to carve out a place for himself in the international film scene) with a sweeping overview of twentieth-century Egyptian history, this boldly imaginative self-portrait is a rare instance of a major artist turning his life inside out with the utmost courage and candor.